Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention generally relate to a fluid handling system for controlling fluid flow through a riser package.
Description of the Related Art
For many years, drilling riser systems have provided the ability to access offshore hydrocarbon reservoirs located thousands of feet below the seafloor. In 2010, however, the Macondo well incident revealed a need for improved riser package safety systems capable of responding to an uncontrolled release of wellbore fluids. Current blow-out prevention systems provide only one point of shut off at the base of a riser string. In the event of a blow-out prevention system failure, such as in the Macondo well incident, the uncontrolled release of high pressure wellbore fluids may flow freely up through the entire riser package to the rig floor, thereby endangering worker safety and potentially damaging rig equipment. In addition, other equipment above the blow-out prevention systems, such as a mud-gas separator, do not provide any control mechanism for handling uncontrolled, high-pressure released wellbore fluids at the surface of the rig. Damage to or failure of this type of rig equipment by the uncontrolled release of wellbore fluids may potentially expose the surrounding environment to contamination by the wellbore fluids.
Therefore, there is a need for a new and improved system capable of handling uncontrolled wellbore fluid flow through a riser package.